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Notable events involving Tambor include:

7 Dec 1941
When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, USS Tambor (Lt.Cdr. John William Murphy, Jr) was already at sea to patrol off Wake Island. However due to an engine failure she was forced to abort her first war patrol. She was sent to the Mare Island Navy Yard for repairs.

15 Mar 1942
USS Tambor (Lt.Cdr. J.W. Murphy, Jr) left Pearl Harbor for her 2nd war patrol. She was ordered to reconnoitre the areas around Wake, Truk, New Ireland, New Britain, and Rabaul.

16 Apr 1942
USS Tambor (Lt.Cdr. J.W. Murphy, Jr) torpedoed and sank the Japanese stores ship Kitami Maru (394 GRT) about 50 nautical miles southeast of Kavieng, New Ireland in position 03°00'S, 152°00'E.

12 May 1942
USS Tambor (Lt.Cdr. J.W. Murphy, Jr) ended her 2nd war patrol at Pearl Harbor.

21 May 1942
USS Tambor (Lt.Cdr. J.W. Murphy, Jr) left Pearl Harbor to patrol north-west off Midway during the defence of this island.

5 Jun 1942
The Japanese heavy cruisers Mogami and Mikuma (both offsite links) are damaged in a collision while manoeuvring to avoid the shadowing submarine USS Tambor (Lt.Cdr. J.W. Murphy, Jr). Both ships are damaged. Mikuma is sunk by U.S. carrier aircraft on 6 June.

16 Jun 1942
USS Tambor (Lt.Cdr. J.W. Murphy, Jr) returns to Pearl Harbor.

24 Jul 1942
USS Tambor (Lt.Cdr. S.H. Ambruster) departed from Pearl Harbor for her 3th war patrol. She was ordered to patrol in the Marshall Islands.

7 Aug 1942
USS Tambor (Lt.Cdr. Stephen H. Ambruster) torpedoed and sank the Japanese auxiliary net layer Shofuku Maru (891 GRT) off Wotje, Marshall Islands in position 09°25'N, 170°11'E.

21 Aug 1942
USS Tambor (Lt.Cdr. S.H. Ambruster) torpedoed and sank the Japanese collier Shinsei Maru No.6 (2928 GRT) off Ponape Island in position 06°45'N, 158°10'E.

19 Sep 1942
USS Tambor (Lt.Cdr. S.H. Ambruster) ended her 3th war patrol at Fremantle, Australia.

12 Oct 1942
USS Tambor (Lt.Cdr. S.H. Ambruster) departed from Fremantle for her 4th war patrol. She was ordered to patrol in the South China Sea off Hainan.

2 Nov 1942
USS Tambor (Lt.Cdr. S.H. Ambruster) lays mines in Hainan Strait in the Tonkin Gulf.

3 Nov 1942
USS Tambor (Lt.Cdr. S.H. Ambruster) torpedoed and sank the Japanese merchant Chikugo Maru (2461 GRT) in the Tonkin Gulf, northwest of Hainan Island in position 21°18'N, 108°39'E.

10 Nov 1942
USS Tambor (Lt.Cdr. S.H. Ambruster) sank a sampan by gunfire in the Sulu Sea in position 09°03'N, 120°30'E.

21 Nov 1942
USS Tambor (Lt.Cdr. S.H. Ambruster) ended her 4th war patrol at Fremantle.

18 Dec 1942
USS Tambor (Lt.Cdr. S.H. Ambruster) leaves Fremantle for her 5th war patrol. She was ordered to patrol off Sunda Strait.

29 Dec 1942
The Japanese merchant Fukken Maru (2558 GRT) mined and sank off the northwest coast of Hainan Island in position 20°04'N, 109°18'E the mine was laid by USS Tambor (Lt.Cdr. Stephen H. Ambruster) on 2 November 1942.

28 Jan 1943
USS Tambor (Lt.Cdr. S.H. Ambruster) ended her 5th war patrol at Fremantle.

18 Feb 1943
USS Tambor (Lt.Cdr. S.H. Ambruster) leaves Fremantle for her 6th war patrol. She was ordered to land a small naval party and supply's on Mindanao in the Philippines.

5 Mar 1943
USS Tambor (Lt.Cdr. S.H. Ambruster) lands the naval party and supply's on Mindanao in the Philippines.

22 Mar 1943
USS Tambor (Lt.Cdr. S.H. Ambruster) torpedoed and damaged the Japanese transport ship Bugen Maru (691 GRT) in the Sulu Sea, off Negros, Philippines in position 08°58'N, 123°08'E.

14 Apr 1943
USS Tambor (Lt.Cdr. S.H. Ambruster) ended her 6th war patrol at Fremantle.

5 May 1943
HrMs Tromp (Capt. J.B. de Meester, RNN) conducted A/S exercises off Fremantle together with HMAS Dubbo (T/Lt. N.G. Weber, RANR(S)) and USS Tambor (Lt.Cdr. R. Kefauver, USN). (1)

7 May 1943
USS Tambor (Lt.Cdr. Russell Kefauver) departed from Fremantle for her 7th war patrol, and was ordered to patrol in the South China Sea.

7 May 1943
HrMs Tromp (Capt. J.B. de Meester, RNN) conducted A/S exercises off Fremantle together with USS Tautog (Cdr. W.B. Sieglaff, USN) and USS Tambor (Lt.Cdr. R. Kefauver, USN). (1)

29 May 1943
USS Tambor (Lt.Cdr. R. Kefauver) torpedoed and sank the Japanese merchant Eisho Maru (2486 GRT) in the South China Sea about 60 nautical miles south-east of Hainan Island in position 17°30'N, 110°55'E.

2 Jun 1943
USS Tambor (Lt.Cdr. R. Kefauver) torpedoed and sank the Japanese transport ship Eika Maru (1248 GRT) in the South China Sea in position 20°29'N, 107°57'E.

27 Jun 1943
USS Tambor (Lt.Cdr. R. Kefauver) ended her 7th war patrol at Fremantle.

20 Jul 1943
USS Tambor (Lt.Cdr. R. Kefauver) left Fremantle for her 8th war patrol. She was ordered to return to the United States after this patrol.

20 Jul 1943
USS Tambor (T/Lt.Cdr. R. Kefauver, USN) conducted exercises off Fremantle during which HrMs Van Galen (Lt.Cdr. F.T. Burghard, RNethN) acted as target. (2)

27 Jul 1943
The Japanese merchant Teikin Maru (1972 GRT) is mined and sank off Hainan Island in position 19°57'N, 109°05'E the mine was laid by USS Tambor (Lt.Cdr. Stephen H. Ambruster) on 2 November 1942.

12 Sep 1943
USS Tambor (Lt.Cdr. R. Kefauver) ended her 8th war patrol at Pearl Harbor. She is sent to San Francisco for an overhaul.

5 Jan 1944
USS Tambor (Lt.Cdr. R. Kefauver) left Pearl Harbor for her 9th war patrol. She was ordered to patrol in the East China Sea.

29 Jan 1944
USS Tambor (Lt.Cdr. R. Kefauver) torpedoed and sank the Japanese merchant Shuntai Maru (2254 GRT) north of Okinawa in position 27°51'N, 128°24'E.

3 Feb 1944
USS Tambor (Lt.Cdr. R. Kefauver) torpedoed and sank the Japanese transport Goyo Maru (8469 GRT, built 1939) and tanker Ariake Maru (5149 GRT, built 1943) about 200 nautical miles south-east of Shanghai in position 28°53'N, 124°19'E.

[All links to Japanese ships are offsite links.]

12 Feb 1944
USS Tambor (Lt.Cdr. R. Kefauver) torpedoed and sank the Japanese tanker Ronsan Maru (2735 GRT) in the East China Sea about 40 nautical miles south-west of Amami O Shima in position 27°45'N, 128°42'E.

5 Mar 1944
USS Tambor (Lt.Cdr. R. Kefauver) ended her 9th war patrol at Pearl Harbor.

9 Apr 1944
USS Tambor (Lt.Cdr. R. Kefauver) departed from Pearl Harbor for her 10th war patrol. She was ordered to patrol in the Mariana Islands area.

18 Apr 1944
USS Tambor (Lt.Cdr. R. Kefauver) sank the Japanese guard boat Shinku Maru No.3 (300 GRT) with gunfire about 300 nautical miles north-west of Wake Island in position 22°07'N, 160°31'E.

10 May 1944
USS Tambor (Lt.Cdr. R. Kefauver) torpedoed and damaged the Japanese aircraft transport Keiyo Maru (6442 GRT, offsite link) about 420 nautical miles north-west of Saipan in position 19°26'N, 140°19'E.

26 May 1944
USS Tambor (Lt.Cdr. R. Kefauver) torpedoed and sank Japanese stores ship Chiyu Maru (657 GRT) west of the Mariana Islands in position 20°40'N, 141°50'E.

2 Jun 1944
USS Tambor (Lt.Cdr. R. Kefauver) ended her 10th war patrol at Midway.

16 Jul 1944
USS Tambor (Lt.Cdr. William Joseph Germershausen, jr.) departed from Midway for her 11th war patrol, and was ordered to patrol in Japanese home waters off Hokkaido and the Kuril Islands.

13 Aug 1944
USS Tambor (Lt.Cdr. W.J. Germershausen) torpedoed and sank the Japanese transport ship Toei Maru (2324 GRT) in the southern part of Sea of Okhotsk in position 48°35'N, 149°02'E.

23 Aug 1944
USS Tambor (Lt.Cdr. W.J. Germershausen) ended her 11th war patrol at Pearl Harbor.

7 Oct 1944
USS Tambor (Lt.Cdr. W.J. Germershausen) departed from Midway for her 12th and final war patrol. She was ordered to patrol in Japanese home waters off Tokyo Bay.

16 Nov 1944
USS Tambor (Lt.Cdr. W.J. Germershausen) sank the Japanese guard boat Takashiro Maru (95 GRT) with gunfire south-west of Torishima in position 30°00'N, 139°30'E.

30 Nov 1944
USS Tambor (Lt.Cdr. W.J. Germershausen) ended her 12th and final war patrol at Pearl Harbor. She is now assigned to training duties.

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